NBA stars Terry Rozier and Damon Jones, as well as Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncy Billups were all arrested early Thursday as part of sweeping FBI investigations into sports-rigging and illegal gambling – which was in part connected to the Mafia.
Speaking Thursday morning, FBI director Kash Patel said that 34 people had been arrested in “over 11 states” and that the money involved in the alleged NBA gambling ring was “tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery.”
The number included 13 members of the Bonnano, Gambino and Genovese crime families – part of the infamous Cosa Nostra Mafia.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr, for the Eastern District of New York, called the operations “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”
“Your winning streak has ended … and you can bet on that,” he said.
Rozier, a guard for the Miami Heat, was apprehended at a hotel in Orlando, Florida, months after he was cleared by an NBA internal investigation regarding suspicious betting on his gameplay in 2023. Billups was arrested in Oregon.
Nocella said Jones and Rozier had used “non-public information” as part of sports game rigging operations, including when specific players would be sitting out future games, or when they would pull themselves out early.
Recap: What we learned about the ‘historic’ FBI sports gambling investigations
FBI director Kash Patel on Thursday hailed the “historic” investigations into sports-rigging and illegal gambling – which was in part connected to the Mafia.
Here’s a recap of the Thursday press conference:
- A total of 34 people in “over 11 states” were arrested in connection to illegal gambling and sports rigging operations
- Among those arrested were NBA stars Damon Jones and Terry Rozier, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Cauncey Billups
- 13 members of the Bonnano, Gambino and Genovese crime families – part of the infamous Cosa Nostra – were also arrested
- One investigation centered on illegal betting on various NBA games, where players used “non-public information” to inform bets
- Another probed underground poker games, where “high-tech cheating technology” was used to steal millions from unwitting victims
Mike Bedigan23 October 2025 16:25
Hakeem Jeffries responds to FBI indictment
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said that FBI indictment announced Thursday had “shocked” many NBA fans.
“It’s a stunning development,” he told CNN.
“The indictment seems very wide-ranging. Of course every single one of the individuals charged are entitled to the presumption of innocence.
“But it was a development that shocked the conscience of a lot of folks, particularly those who follow the NBA closely.”
Mike Bedigan23 October 2025 17:10
Federal indictment reveals hilarious mobster nicknames
The FBI indictment into the illegal gambling rings includes many of the alleged members’ nicknames.
From “Big Bruce” to “Pookie,” the hilarious highlights include:
- Nelson “Spanish G” Alvarez
- Ammar “Flappy” Awawdeh
- Matthew “The Wrestler” Daddino
- Eric “Spook” Earnest
- Thomas “The Juice” Gelardo
- “Black Tony” Goodson
- Shane “Sugar” Hennen
- Osman Hoti, also known as “Albanian Bruce” or “Big Bruce”
- Zhen Hu, also known as “Stanley”
- Anthony “Doc” Shnayderman
- Sophia “Pookie” Wei
Mike Bedigan23 October 2025 17:01
Sport’s biggest betting scandals: From Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter to Phil Mickelson, Ivan Toney and more
The NBA has been rocked by two high-profile arrests as part of FBI investigations into illegal gambling.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were both arrested early Thursday – Rozier was apprehended at a hotel in Orlando, Florida, while Billups was arrested in Oregon.
Mike Bedigan23 October 2025 16:50
Full list of names charged in connection to rigged poker games
Here is the full list of names allegedly connected to the rigged poker games, which authorities described as “technologically sophisticated:
- Chauncey Billups — Portland Trail Blazers head coach and NBA Hall of Famer
- Damon Jones — former NBA player
- Ernest Aiello — reputed member of the Bonanno crime family
- Joseph Lanni – reputed member of the Gambino crime family
- Thomas Gelardo — reputed member of the Lucchese crime family
- Saul Becher — a professional poker player
- Lee Fama — another professional poker player
- Nelson Alvarez
- Louis Apicella
- Ammar Awawdeh
- Matthew Daddino
- Eric Earnest
- John Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Jamie Gilet
- Tony Goodson
- Kenny Han
- Shane Hennen
- Osman Hoti
- Horatio Hu
- Zhen Hu
- John Mazzola
- Curtis Meeks
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
- Anthony Shnayderman
- Robert Stroud
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia Wei
- Julius Ziliani
Mike Bedigan23 October 2025 16:42
Terry Rozier will fight allegations, his lawyer says
Terry Rozier’s lawyer says the NBA star will fight the charges against him and that prosecutors were late to inform him that he would be arrested.
“They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel,” Jim Trusty told The Atlantic.
“It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing.”
Trusty added: “Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
Mike Bedigan23 October 2025 16:32
Rozier investigated following ‘suspicious’ betting activity in 2023
According to officials the federal investigation into NBA star Terry Rozier began following unusual betting patterns around one of his games in 2023, while he was playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
Bookmakers in multiple states reported suspicious interest in his statistics, resulting in a surge of bets on his points, rebounds and assists.
He scored five points, four rebounds and two assists within 10 minutes, but then left the court complaining of a foot injury, and did not return, causing outrage from online betters.
Despite this, the NBA did not find that he had violated any league rules.
Mike Bedigan23 October 2025 16:15
NYPD Commissioner says gambling operations used ‘mob enforcement methods’
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the illegal gambling operations, which took place across the country used “traditional mob enforcement methods.”
“These defendants did what organized crime has always done,” she told reporters Thursday.
“They use threats, they use intimidation, and they used violence. It’s the same pattern that we have seen for decades.
“Traditional mob enforcement methods combined with new technology to expand the reach of their operation.”
Mike Bedigan23 October 2025 16:08